speaking of christmas...

sunday night while watching PBS, finished cutting appliques for this penn dutch wall quilt and thinking of starting yet another applique project...but this popped up in mind....

jan patek's nativity...only 2 blocks left....new start on back burner because this one MUST be finished for this holiday season.  the black strip is for the sheep legs...the other block is 3 kings and a lot of tiny pieces are stalling me, but will have to resort to an occasional drop of glue to get it done...

and here is 'spectrum' top finish....renamed crossroads...destination unknown

what else?  made a little table topper for my unsightly kitchen table previously used with the big board on top.   now out in the open and not visually pleasing..a win/win since it used up all those muslin 2.5" squares as well.

lastly, 'tuscan starburst' top cruising in for a finish.....

seems like a lot accomplished, but the crossroads top and table topper were just about finished before the weekend....once this is done, a basting day will happen.  and of course, quilting on 'midnight' continues. 

weather has turned abhorrent so forays outside will be minimal....96 tomorrow....yeeech!  dreaming daily of cold maine ocean waters and crisp september nights.  only 3 medical appointments remain in july.  thankfully freezer stocked with ready or minimal meals.  it's either clean or sew, hmmm no contest there. so keep cool and sew on!

weekly post

firmly into dog days of summer, so confined to quarters mostly--good for the UFO sewing!  other pleasant diversions came up during the week--finally some fun!  monday night is BINGO night here and one of the ladies made me this adorable little zipper pouch for my change...

very nicely done so i asked if she needed more fabric...she said maybe a piece or two...i of course said come on over and take your pick!  and on that subject, a bulging box arrived yesterday containing--what else?--fabric!  a generous and kind quilter sent along some solids, a few repro prints and these beauties...

yes indeed they ARE kaffe!  the hexies are giant size, about 7" across maybe?  look like they came from a kit or a charm bundle...a plan is in place and it will be my 2nd new start this year.  fear not, though, UFOs will not be abandoned....here is blue lanterns flimsy...

and last night while ZOOMing with my peeps down under, got started on the 'tuscan starburst' flimsy as well...

liking the setting fabric more and more as it gets incorporated into the block setting....the colors are off here.....must plan a basting day sometime soon.  quilting continues on 'midnight' with the center medallion finished. 

friday night ladies from church invited me for a game night...never rolled into bed until 11:30 which is unusual but it was loads of fun and just the tonic!  saturday braved heat and nearly 100% humidity to hit farmer's market....veggies nearing abundance now....

got these plus summer and zuke squash, scallions...not quite ready are peppers, eggplant, green beans...i receive the lowest amount of food stamp benefits, but maryland has a program where certain markets double them, so helps the food budget--thankful as prices around here are pretty high.  most markets have become gourmet shops selling everything from alcohol, beer, soaps, textile items, gourmet mushrooms, flowers.  i know only one regular farm stand that sells just their own produce but they don't take my SNAP--one thing i miss from Frederick.  

the only downer of the week was the leg--ER visit and consult concluding likely a seroma...antibiotic changed and different wound care specialist recommended.  it is better and all providers agree it looks much, much better but still not totally healed--draining.  MRI later this week should elucidate further.  

pleasant diversions jump start lackluster mojo, so looking forward to some serious sewing!  as always, I thank my God for every blessing and 42 days to Maine!

july so soon?

only six months to christmas!  holy holidays batman!  can't say i'm not getting into the spirit already....

the first finish of july....a christmas wall quilt....simple, traditional, lovely fabrics, hand quilted of course...ticks all my boxes.  thanks to icky hot and humid weather, it's been a week of much sewing progress.  what else got done?

settled on this print for my tuscan starburst wall quilt....one of the few that was enough to use and has a bit of a mediterranean feel to it...tones down all those bright golds a bit as well i think...

and this project is moving along as well...

blue lanterns....blocks all done.   it's 5x5 as that used up the background fabric, plus big enough to hand quilt for a fairly quick finish too.   perhaps a july finish as well maybe?  

no holidays plans here, unless you count laundry...LOL!  will be putting these blocks together, also the last 2 rows on the 'spectrum' top, maybe basting a few small UFO projects for quilting and might pull out a kaffe puzzle i've been hoarding...i've about 5 medical appointments already booked for july (groan) and ms. leg continues to be an annoying enigma.  did sneak in 2 gym visits last week but on hold again until leg status clearly defined...rats!  

"long may our land be bright, with freedom's holy light, protect us by thy might, great God our king!"

got blues?

yeah blues, not THE blues....blue fabrics....sure, got stacks of them.  pulled out five to sew up these squares for the senior center's donation quilt.

 

ramped up endorphins this week from gym visit giving me mojo for just about anything, even in this wicked heat.  first thing, miss phoebe's in the house!

she's so glad to be back where she belongs...for now anyway.  also got this done....

all nine starbursts are done....this weekend will start on setting pieces and put it all together....

only 2 rows left to add to the 'spectrum' top to be finished and a wall quilt UFO got its binding sewn on, so that should be a weekend finish as well.  will show later...also started cutting applique pieces for the penn dutch wall quilt since dear daughter gifted me this fancy tin for the UFO...

no cookies, just the tin...LOL...a future roadshow item no doubt!

now that back to exercise, can sit and quilt without guilt, so it'll be back to 'midnight' as the next UFO to cross off.  and for all you carbo lovers, new book borrowed from library....

nearly every recipe drool worthy...i'd love to make a lot of them but a fair portion have ingredients taboo for the cardiac lifestyle...asian sauces, bacon, pancetta, feta and other cheeses.  there are a few i can try without provoking the ire of cardioman tho...lol

no plans for holiday weekend except sewing and a few house chores...just fine with me.  few more medical appointments upcoming with the leg. had to remove unna boot as simply too tight, for which i'll be scolded.  wound nurse helpful but honestly, she makes me feel like an 8-year-old who wet their pants in school.  and the $35 compression stockings are too tight as well...bye bye that money.  so keeping busy is helping to mostly ignore it.  that's the latest from this lake woebegone....

last but not least, a tribute to my dear friend vic....just last week learned of her passing...had tried to contact her several times in the past couple of years without any response, so was concerned.  we were crazy quilters in crime when i lived in new england.  her home was overflowing with fabric everywhere--over chairs, in baskets in the kitchen and a big pile of priority mail packages in the living room...LOL!  she lost interest when her husband died a few years back and probably succumbed to a broken heart...rest easy my friend.  

vic, janet and me in 2013 at--where else, a quilt shop!

machinus interruptus

 was sewing merrily along sunday when whoops!  this happened to miss sunny!

immediately surfed over to youtube to see the how-to of replacing it...which i did find, but a bit hesitant to tackle so may have to call on repair guy....it's an inexpensive fix but with the budget on life support, there'll be some very creative juggling.  in the meantime, phoebe featherweight has been called in for duty.  fortunately, plenty of other tasks to satisfy the mojo....like this

tuscan starburst getting closer to flimsy....working on the last block now, the red, and then rummage the stash to see if there's an ok setting fabric.  i did find one i like but a bit more looking just to make sure.  

then there's prepping for these blocks...

senior center is making a quilt for the local hospital to raffle at their anniversary celebration.  i've 5 blocks to make using blue fabrics...another opportunity to bust some stash.  

finally, a UFO is needing binding so more stash diving and found this, another pretty that's been ignored but no longer....

the spectrum top will be finished once phoebe is in the house--need to pick up at daughter's--a good feeling indeed.  did manage to bust all the 1.5" and 2.5" squares in the baggie that had been cut eons ago; now left with 1.5" and 2.5" strips that are quite user friendly.  

it's a hot day so inside tasks on the to-do list...plenty of scraps to cut, DAR member training videos to tackle, a custard pie to make.  the annual DAR convention later this week will be live streamed, so more hand work on tap.  thankfully the apartment is low maintenance as I try very hard to be.  a few medical visits still scheduled but winding down.  the leg?  wound care nurse working wonders, but the pesky thing is still draining and there is still a pinhole opening stubborn to heal.  every week it gets wrapped tighter.  at least walking improved and gym on the horizon.  slowly feeling more settled and knowing my way around more, but hasn't quelled the homesickness always under the surface.  will soldier on doing my best to fit in and feel at home--for now. 

remembering Dad...

here's my Dad at Cape Canaveral on a trip with the Civil Air Patrol, 1960s i guess...no doubt he had a terrific time--in his heart he was always a pilot...I wish i had understood him better when he was alive. Gone now 21 years...does it even seem possible?  so many changes in our family...still loved and missed.  he may be gone but left us such pearls of wisdom like "it isn't the car, it's the nut behind the wheel"....and lots more like that.   😄 ***

and this is finally done....re-stitched the offending parts EXCEPT the pesky dogwood but it's our secret, ok?

and a surprise arrived friday....a housewarming gift from a fellow quilter AKA fabric-holic!  the very best kind of gift for sure...certainly warmed MY heart!

right away--like a true addict--had to fondle and sort.  this isn't all...there was a large baggie of small scraps that immediately got sorted into strips and squares with some being used into a current project.  some vintage prints and lots of reproductions...and then a couple of works that got started but never finished by anonymous quilter...now to find space on the shelf for the goodies!

temps and humidity ramping up so there'll be more hovering near the A/C from now on. makes pesky medical appointments even worse...three of them last week, two this and one already scheduled for the week after that.  the leg is finally showing big improvement--numbness and swelling significantly reduced.  the end in sight?  just maybe....now to shut windows and turn on the cooooool! 

tuesday talk

monday somehow got away from me so first weekly post today!  wound care nurse has me elevating leg 4x per day for one hour, which seems a time eater but trusting good for leg.  have to say it feels less swollen and more flex, so she could be right...lol!  big reveal at thursday follow up.  *** so how have I been keeping occupied?  trying to finish this....

in fact, did get it finished when spied a counting error...numbers you know!!!  snipped out the offending area, except for that dogwood blossom....i hate doing those--it is one stitch too high but it stays.  not much re-stitching to do, tho.  

also working on that 'spectrum' pattern UFO.  with pieced blocks done, working on alternate squares and getting rows together....a bit time consuming to pull fabrics, cut squares and re-shelve but no rush to finish.  miss sunny is purring along after a serious oiling...

then pulled fabrics for penn dutch applique wall quilt....

so thankful to have a healthy stash....keeps me out of stores and off line where temptation is always too much to resist.  gives me hope that i just might actually use it all up before my sewing days end...

yearly apartment inspection was done, so the space is spic'n'span, which should do for the summer.  i never want anyone to say i was an excellent housekeeper, hoping to spend my earth days here on in doing things i enjoy and not in mundane tasks.  temps are ramping up, so indoor fun plans in full swing....have a blessed day!

midweek notes

nice weather here before the hots arrive, probably later this month.  inching closer to july, maryland's historical hottest month.  puttering and fine tuning the new space, still some things need to go up--living room curtains, wall quilts.  slowly learning my way around and feeling settled, means a return to fitness and needlework pursuits.  more progress on this block project with all pieced blocks just about done...

i've a patchwork assembly line going on here with good result....

as you can see, the muslin strips and squares previously cut have whittled down but many left, so while i sew, thinking about what to do with them.  strips ideal for log cabin and squares for foursies--shoeboxes contain precuts ready for action.  and what's this?  another find during the move?  indeed it is...

early in my quilt life, i swooned over applique....didn't do much as the skill just wasn't there, but didn't prevent me from taking endless snaps at shows and buying patterns....this is one.  it was immediate swoon, very traditional and figured do-able with only four blocks--apparently not!  i have decided now is the time.  skills have improved and it still speaks to me.  this will be one of the few new starts for me this year...and speaking of year....

if you can't see it, it's 1981.....yes 42 years ago....so it's time has definitely arrived.  fabrics will be pulled this week.  and last, with hot weather on the horizon, it's always a good time for this...

processing scraps before they rival the matterhorn....

all this is keeping my mind off the continuing leg saga...a wound clinic appointment is set.  it definitely does NOT like the stationary bike but after the pain subsides, it seems to improve a bit.  other hematomas are yet to dissolve, safe to say i won't ever be taking coumadin again.  *** thankful my challenges are only annoying, keeping in mind and prayers those who suffer much worse.  as always, a day filled with blessings and the continuing care of my loving God. 

friday sewing

after getting one complete row and several blocks finished, i totally recall why i hung onto this pattern and the scads of units prepped for 'someday'.  with plenty of repro fabrics on hand, this will be a top to hopefully sell and will help to bust the stash, win/win.  have 2 other scrappy tops in the works getting assembled from precuts shoeboxes.  a basting day is also on the schedule at some point. 

note to self:  lengthen the design wall before proceeding much further on this!  i have the other half of the king size flannel sheet that usually doubles as a picnic tablecloth, but it'll undergo a slight reduction!  in addition to machine fun, i've also been quilting 'midnight' with the center medallion nearly done.  

90 degrees has arrived today but only briefly, a harbinger of the future no doubt.  outside of pesky medical appointments, won't be doing much exploring.  good news tho, boy surgeon has cleared me for regular exercise again--after 10 weeks off it'll take a month or so to regain lost endurance and momentum.  leg regaining shape but further tests ordered to answer a few questions that linger.  

library card getting regular use and mostly i read whodunit type of mysteries, but a recent spooky dream sent me to something lighter for a change.

normally i don't read romance types, but the left-side book blurb calls it funny and a fast read, which it is.  a bit predictable but definitely light fare.  the other book is one of jk rowling's mysteries--1000 pages' worth--that hasn't yet grabbed me but i keep reading hoping it does.  concerns internet gaming inventors, one of whom has been killed, and the game characters and groupies.  i like the detective and his cohorts, and as long as JKR doesn't venture further into her harry potter-type fantasy mode i'll continue, but may abandon at some point.  *** that's all for now....

love from oz!

nothing like a mailbox surprise to perk up your day....this one came with plenty of warm fuzzies all the way from down under!

some of the AUS/NZ gals had their retreat earlier this year....known as the scrub stitchers, they gather each year to sew, laugh and shop!  this year a few of the zoom gals from US, Canada and Europe made the trek....and i got to join in vicariously.  they included me by sending along this--an official scrub stitchers project designed by their pal anni downs and her stitchery/quilting shop "hatched and patched".   the little fridge magnets were made by sylvia, another zoomer.  so happiness is not always a warm puppy....sometimes it's a kindness by friends far away.  

and speaking of zooming....last night was a special anniversary night and was finally free to join in...

different time zones mean many to join in at various times....i can always start in but cave before the session is over.  was very nice to catch up and see what others are doing...always inspires me.  i cut out a stack of the "spectrum" blocks for sewing today.

earlier dear daughter came to visit with her 2-step stepstool and did this for me...

got all the quilts neatly stacked on the closet shelf....no longer piled on floor, making apartment looking bigger all the time...she also took home some wall quilts for her own use and for gifts.  the last of the tomato plants went with her as well.  the only pile left is things that are basted and to be basted.  i'm keeping those in plain sight for motivation...LOL!

memorial day weekend...no big plans at all...huge car repair sucked up all my fun funds, but might get to venture to the shore, one of my definite happy places and always free!